Graphic designer Virtue Oboro experienced every mothers worst nightmare.
In rare cases, it can also lead to death.
Blue-light phototherapy is a fairly simple treatment and widespread in many developing countries.
In some places, however, access to the necessary equipment isnt always possible.
Tombras case was quite severe, but Oboros hospital had no phototherapy devices available.
The family waited four hours while his condition worsened.
Despite several obstacles, her son made a full recovery.
However, after that experience in 2015, Oboro was a changed woman.
The experience was traumatizing for her, but has inspired her to pivot in her professional career.
I felt like some of the things I experienced could have been avoided, she says.
Her new tech startup,Tiny Hearts, is making solar-powered cribs calledcribAglow.
The low-cost, portable, deployable phototherapy unit is powered by the Sun.
The award-winning design came with some struggles in medical technicalities.
Her husband was also on hand to help as he had some experience working with solar panels before.
Now, cribAglow can be found in 500 hospitals across Nigeria and its neighboring Ghana.
The company is looking to expand its efforts into other countries in sub-Saharan Africa.
Because its portable and solar powered, demand for the baby cribs soared during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Many parents wanted to avoid hospitals and look after their newborns at home.
Oboro says she feels lucky and grateful that Tombra survived.
Now its her mission to fight jaundice in newborns and save a hundred and one more babies.
